SURVIVAL RICHEST of the
Newborn babies are nearly four times more likely to die when born to the poorest mums
BABIES born to the poorest mums are nearly four times as likely to die within their first month of life as those born to the richest.
New figures from the Office for National Statistics show that an average of one baby in 370 dies within the first 28 days of life.
That figure rises to one in 189 when the child is born to a parent who is either working in a “routine” occupation, has never worked, or is in long-term unemployment.
“Routine” occupations are unskilled or low-skilled manual jobs, such as bar staff, sorters and packers, cleaners, and builders. These are among the poorest of mothers. In comparison, just one in every 714 babies dies within the first 28 days of life when born to mothers in higher managerial and professional jobs - the richest of mothers. Neonatal deaths occur when babies die within their first 28 days of life, and the rate has remained fairly static across the past five years. Modern records go back as far as 2012, when one in every 192 babies born to the poorest mums died within their first 28 days of life. The figure stayed the same in 2013 and improved to one in every 213 babies in 2014.
By 2015, however, the figure had worsened to one in 175, before returning to 189 in 2016.
Expertssaiditwas“deeplyconcerning” that the gap in neonatal deaths between rich and poor mothers was not being closed.
Caroline Lee-Davey, chief executive of the premature and sick baby charity Bliss, said: “Sadly, evidence has shown over many years that babies born into poorer families have a much higher mortality risk.
“There is a clear link with poverty, which is on the rise in the UK.
“A number of factors can contribute to this higher risk of baby loss, including diet as well as smoking and alcohol and drug use during pregnancy.
“The most important thing for any expectant mother to do is to take care of their health while they are pregnant, and to attend all their hospital appointments and seek advice from health care professionals when needed. However, we know that this can be more challenging for those living in the most disadvantaged communities.
“We are deeply concerned that figures on neonatal death have remained static over the past five years despite government promises to make improvements. It is time for the government to honour their pledge for more funding in order to give every baby in the country the best chance of survival and quality of life.” A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “We want the NHS to be the safest place in the world to give birth. “Werecentlylaunchedplanstoreduce the pre-term birth rate from 8% to 6% and to halve the rates of stillbirths, neonatal deaths and brain injuries caused during and after birth by 2025. “We’ve invested millions of pounds in training for staff and new safety equipment and recently announced the largest ever increase in midwifery training places to ensure the NHS can provide world-class care for mothers and babies.”